The Internet may be a useful tool for businesses seeking to sell products or services. Businesses frequently use the Internet by creating a web site that includes information about their products and/or services. Such a business often hosts its web site on a web server that makes the business's web site available via the Internet. Once the business's web site is hosted on a web server, potential customers all over the world can then learn about the business and its products or services. These customers may purchase products or services from the business through the business's web site, or alternatively, customers may purchase products or services through other means such as the telephone or conventional mail. The product or service may be delivered to the customer via the Internet (e.g., computer software that is downloaded to the customer's computer), via conventional mail, or some other way.
FIG. 1 shows one example of businesses using the Internet to communicate with potential customers. For example, business 110 may create a web site that is hosted on web server 140. Web server 140 has a connection 145 to the Internet 100. Different configurations of web server 140 are possible. For example, web server 140 may consist of a single computer, or alternatively, web server 140 may consist of several computers to accommodate a greater amount of traffic than could be handled by a single computer. Business 110 may access web server 140 directly through its local network 115, over the Internet 100 via its connection 105 to the Internet 100, or in some other way. Customers 160 may use the Internet 100 to access the web site of business 110 that is hosted on web server 140 and may purchase the products or services of business 110.
Alternatively, multiple businesses may host their web sites on a single web server. For example, business 120 may create a web site and have it hosted on web server 150, and business 130 may also host its web site on web server 150. Customers 160 may access the web sites of business 120 and business 130 that are hosted on web server 150.
Web server 150 that is used by business 120 and business 130 may itself be run by web server business 170. Business 120 and business 140 may pay web server business 170 a fee for the service of having their web sites hosted at web server 150. Web server business 170 may additionally provide other related services to business 120 and business 130. For example, web server business 170 may provide services for creating web sites, provide electronic mail services, and/or provide statistics regarding customers that visit a business's web site.